Torch for electric arc welding system

Abstract

A torch for connection to an electric arc welding system having a wire feeder, a power source and a weld process controller for the power source. The torch being connected to the front end of a welding gun, which gun has a rear end with a first unique component of a connector. The welding system has a second component of the connector matching the first component. The gun has a communication channel extending from the torch to the first component for transmitting data to the welding system through the connector. The torch has a memory with an identification code outputted on the communication channel to the first component and the system has a decoder circuit connected to the second component and responsive to a selected identification code.

Having thus defined the invention, the following is claimed: 
     
         1 . A welding system comprising:
 a wire feeder apparatus,   a supply of wire wherein the wire is fed through the wire feeding apparatus, a gun through which the wire passes, said gun having a memory switch; and   a control device which controls the feeding of the wire through the feeding apparatus based upon input from a user input device positioned on at least one of the wire feeding apparatus and the brazing wire gun,   wherein said control device has at least one memory space, said memory switch being configured with said at least one memory space for recording at least one welding parameter to said memory space.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one welding parameter includes at least one of a diameter of said wire, a material of said wire, a wire feed speed, and a duration of a wire feeding operation can be input by said user input device. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said gun comprises a trigger portion to activate said wire feeding operation. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein said trigger portion has a first position corresponding to a first wire feed speed and a second position which corresponds to a second wire feed speed. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein said trigger portion controls said wire feeding operation based on the movement of said trigger portion, wherein there is a non-linear relationship between the movement of the trigger portion and the wire feed speed of the wire. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said gun comprises a trigger to activate the feeding of said wire and at least one second control portion which controls a speed of the feeding of said wire. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one brazing parameter includes feeding the brazing wire through the brazing wire feeding apparatus. 
     
     
         8 . The brazing apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein said at least one parameter is one of wire feed speed, a length of wire, and a wire feed duration. 
     
     
         9 . A system, comprising:
 a wire feeding apparatus,   a supply of wire wherein the wire is fed through the wire feeding apparatus,   a gun through which the wire passes, and   a control device which controls the feeding of the wire through the feeding apparatus based upon input from a user input device positioned on at least one of the wire feeding apparatus and the wire gun,   wherein said wire gun comprises a trigger to activate said wire feeding operation, and   wherein said trigger controls said wire feeding operation based on the movement of said trigger, said control device having at least one memory space and at least one memory button configured with said memory space to any one of select or store a plurality of process parameters.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of a diameter of said wire, a material of said wire, a wire feed speed for said wire, and a duration of a wire feeding operation can be input by said user input device. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said trigger portion has a first position corresponding to a first wire feed speed and a second position which corresponds to a second wire feed speed. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein there is a non-linear relationship between the movement of the trigger portion and the wire feed speed of the brazing wire. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said gun controls a speed of the feeding of said wire. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said plurality of parameters includes feeding the wire through the brazing wire feeding apparatus. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein said plurality of brazing parameters includes one of wire feed speed, a length of wire, a wire feed duration and a wire feed pause time. 
     
     
         16 . A programmable system comprising:
 a wire feeding apparatus for feeding a wire,   a gun, and   a controller for programming a plurality of welding operations, said controller controls the feeding of the wire through the feeding apparatus based upon input from an index device positioned on at least one of the wire feeding apparatus and the gun,   wherein said gun comprises a trigger to activate said wire feeding operation,   wherein said trigger controls said wire feeding operation based on the movement of said trigger portion,   wherein each operation is defined by at a plurality of parameters including at least one of a diameter of said wire, a material of said wire, a wire feed speed for said wire, and a duration of a wire feeding operation can be input by said index device, and   wherein said controller comprises at least one memory space configured with said index device to store said plurality of parameters to program said apparatus.